Tom Smith on Principles & Values

Optimistic there will be a debate; but nothing finalized

There are no debates scheduled between incumbent Bob Casey and his Republican challenger Tom Smith. Not one.

Sure, everyone understands busy campaign schedules. Pennsylvania is a big state to travel around, and candidates do have to hold a certain
number of fundraisers and meet and greets. But no debates?

You have to wonder whether either candidate wants to be accountable and accessible to the public if they will not even take time for a debate. When The Patriot-News Editorial
Board reached out to the two campaigns Thursday, their answers were unimpressive.

"The race has been tightening for the past several weeks, and we are optimistic there will be a debate. Should anything be finalized I will let you know," wrote a
spokeswoman for Tom Smith's campaign in an email.

Casey's team would not speak on the record, although it, too, expressed optimism there would be a debate. The responses are not reassuring, considering there are only 26 days left before Election Day.

Declined to respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire

Less than four weeks until Election Day, Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate candidates have yet to even agree on the terms of a debate in a low-profile campaign that is being waged largely through TV ads that are costing millions of dollars.
In other states, U.S. Senate candidates are already plowing through their debate schedule.

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania said it is trying to arrange two debates between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and
Republican challenger Tom Smith, but nothing was final Wednesday. The league has even had trouble getting responses from
Smith and Casey for its voters' guide, said the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania: "This has been one of the toughest years yet to get information out of people."